fbpx

Life as a Travel Medical Professional: Entering a New Hospital

By: Maria Burns

Within the last year, many of us had to adjust and experience life in new ways. For some, this meant working from home instead of the office, attending school from home, or getting comfortable wearing a mask for eight-plus hours to work if considered essential workers.

For our Krucial Krew, this new adjustment meant leaving their homes, friends, and family behind to help struggling communities fight COVID-19. 

We know trying something new can be exciting, but it can also be very nerve-wracking. Our Krucial Krew members were deployed to a new hospital, a place where they did not know their system, where supplies were, and so much more.

Many of our Krew members had never traveled for work until the global pandemic hit the US, yet every single one of them faced this challenge head-on and with the utmost courage. 

We reached out to our Krew members to learn about their experience jumping right into a new hospital. As expected, many stated they were nervous. In contrast, others were thrilled at the thought of joining the new environment so they could provide aid and support to the local medical personnel.

One Krew member who was nervous found the experience to be “overwhelming; however, it’s about taking a breath and remember[ing] you got this.” When our Krew is deploying for emergency response, they have a quick turnaround from them being rostered to showing up for their first shift at their new facility. This all typically happens within 24 to 48 hours.

With this quick turnaround, our Krew needed to enter the new hospital with an open mind and the ability to hit the ground running once they arrived. However, this quick turnaround can cause many “nerves/emotions on the first day,” according to another Krew member. Therefore, it is best to remember to be flexible, be patient, and most importantly, ask for help when you need it.

Luckily, many Krew members found themselves “functioning like [they] have been there for ages” or compared the experience to riding a bike.

One of our Krucial Krew members described it as “a new adventure to learn, adapt, and share,” which is precisely the mindset we hope all our Krew has on these assignments. Other Krew members mentioned how even though it was exciting and humbling, it still “felt good to be a part of this pandemic crisis.”

Overall, many viewed the experience as challenging but eye-opening. Our Krew was able to remind themselves of their exceptional skills and regain confidence while learning and growing. We knew what we were asking of our Krucial Krew to go out there to a new location with new people and a new system, but they showed up with courage, confidence, and passion.

Here at Krucial, we constantly appreciate how extraordinary our Krew truly is. We know that whatever challenges our Krucial Krew might face in the future, they will overcome them with grace and a positive mindset.

Interested in contributing to the Krucial Kollective? Send us an e-mail at marketing@krucialrr.org and let us know what you would like to write!

Our Krucial Krew members were deployed to a new hospital, a place where they did not know their system, where supplies were, and so much more.

More Posts from
KRUCIAL Kollective

Keeping Up with the Krew: Hilary

It’s not often that a person can examine a choice from their life and say with certainty that it was simultaneously the best and worst decision they ever made.

Hilary Seale is one of those people.

Read More »

Respiratory Care Week 2023

Respiratory Care Week is Oct. 22-28, and we wanted to put a spotlight on the amazing work of the 100,000+ Respiratory Therapists across the country. So, we did what anyone would do – we asked Krucial Reservists, and they gave us insightful answers. Take a look and Enjoy!

Read More »